LIBREVILLE, Gabon (XOL Africa) — The Government of Gabon and the African Development Bank Group have launched a capacity-building initiative aimed at improving the implementation and performance of development projects financed by the institution.
The five-day institutional capacity-building workshop and fiduciary clinic, held in Libreville from July 27 to 31, brought together around 40 participants, including members of project implementation units managing African Development Bank-funded operations, representatives of Gabon’s Court of Accounts, and senior officials from the ministries responsible for Industry and Local Transformation, Budget, and Agriculture.
The training was organised by the African Development Bank Group’s Gabon Country Office, in partnership with the bank’s Capacity Development, Fiduciary Services, Financial Control, Quality Assurance, Results and Monitoring departments, as well as its Regional Office for Central Africa.
The programme focused on strengthening technical, fiduciary and operational skills among national stakeholders to improve project execution and maximise development impact.
Key areas covered included procurement procedures, financial management, disbursement processes, monitoring and evaluation, and project cycle management.
The African Development Bank said improving portfolio performance remains central to supporting Gabon’s economic transformation and advancing the objectives of its 2023–2028 Country Strategy Paper.
As of June 30, 2026, the bank’s portfolio in Gabon consisted of nine projects and 14 financing instruments with total commitments of $658.62 million. Sovereign operations accounted for 86% of the portfolio value, while non-sovereign operations represented 14%.
Speaking on behalf of the African Development Bank’s Gabon Country Manager, Country Programme Officer Minkailou Halidoule Touré said the fiduciary clinic addressed key challenges identified during a recent portfolio review.
“The clinic is directly linked to the portfolio review, which highlighted the need to strengthen stakeholders’ understanding of the Bank’s rules and procedures related to procurement, financial management, disbursement, and monitoring and evaluation,” Touré said.
He reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to supporting project stakeholders in ensuring that resources allocated to Gabon are used efficiently to deliver development outcomes.
Despite ongoing efforts, the bank’s portfolio in Gabon continues to face implementation challenges. A review conducted in June 2026 showed a cumulative disbursement rate of 29.5%, an average project age of 6.3 years, and a reduction in the share of projects classified as at risk from 67% in January 2026 to 38% in June 2026.
Participants identified several obstacles affecting project delivery, including procurement delays, disbursement bottlenecks, weak operational planning, inadequate project documentation, delays in audit reporting, and monitoring and evaluation challenges.
The African Development Bank said the workshop would help strengthen Gabon’s ability to manage development projects, accelerate disbursements, and improve the long-term impact of its investments.
Recommendations from the training will inform future technical assistance programmes in Gabon and support the implementation of the country’s Portfolio Performance Improvement Plan.
